Mulino of Pratovecchio, Il Casentino, Tuscany, Italy
Once called Mulino del Barbo, this flour mill is known to be a thousand years old. There is evidence that the Romans may have had a mill here earlier. Why here? Well, it is on the banks of the Arno River high in the Casentino Valley where one finds the river’s source. Seated in front of the mill is Natalina, the owner. She has devoted her life to gathering wheat from the nearby farmers and grinding it into flour. Today, in her 80s, she no longer runs the mill. It may be the first time in its history that the work has stopped. Also in the photo are Nunciata and Luca, who live in the middle apartment. The grindstone for the mill holds the flower pots behind Natalina, but the remainder of the equipment is still ‘in situ’ just inside the door. Natalina lives upstairs in ancient rooms topped by wooden ceilings.
This gigapan took 110 pix. I wanted to include the Arno River, but that would have made it over 200 pix. I learned the closer you are to an image the more pix you must take. I was surprised.
Coordinates of Mulino at Pratovecchio: N 43 47 901 E 11 42 319 460 meters
Canon PowerShot G9
110 pix: 10 rows of 11 columns 707 megapixels (38468 x 26410)
Image size: 4000x3000 (12.0 megapixels)